Roberts Address As Grand Master To The
Grand Council, Allied Masonic Degrees, 1990

(Condensed from the original)
by Allen E. Roberts, FPS

During the past several months I've
lost much sleep. I expected to have
another year to prepare for this office.
The untimely, and sad, death of Eddie
Styles changed that.

Then I've had a major decision to
make. Should I do what far too many of
our leaders do--nothing? Should I ac-
cept the office, the titles, the honors,
and go through the year not making
waves? This would keep the boat from
rocking. This, also would be the popu-
lar way to preside.

This led me to discuss the question
with several of you whose judgment I
highly respect. The consensus was that
if I did nothing it would go against what
I've been advocating for over 40 years.
It would make a mockery of what I've
written and taught about the need for
constructive leadership. So for good or
ill I'm going to offer you a plan for
tomorrow and the years ahead.

For 33 years it has been my privilege
to meet here in the District of Columbia
with many of the finest, most dedicated
Freemasons in the world. I'd like to feel
this could go on for another 33 years.
But I'm a realist--among other things.

It was The Philalethes Society that
drew me here in 1957. Through it and
its workshops I was able to meet with,
and communicate with, the Freemasons
in the country who were making a dif-
ference. I won't list the dozens of men I
admired and at whose feet I worshiped.

It was eight years before I was invited
to join a Council of the Allied Masonic
Degrees. In my state one Council was
permitted, through the law of exclusive
jurisdiction to keep other Councils from
being formed. Those in control took
great pride in being members of a body
limited to 27 members.

At that time there were less than 50
Councils throughout the United States
and Canada. The reason? The exclusive
jurisdiction rule. This was well known to
me as well as several others in this
Crand Council. One of them was Past
Sovereign Grand Master William E.
Yeager, Sr., who was then Chairman of
the Jurisprudence Committee.

Bill and I discussed the section of our
law that was keeping the number of
Councils low. We believed it should be
changed. Bill asked me to write an
amendment to make the change and he
would fight for its adoption. I did -- and
he did.

From that day to this it has been easy
to form a Council of the Allied Masonic
Degrees. About eight years ago a move
was made to change this back to the rule
of exclusive jurisdiction. I was a lone op-
position voice crying in the wilderness.
Thankfully my voice was heard and the
law wasn't changed. It's still easy to
form a Council.

Why have I gone to this length to re-
cite this case Because I want it on the
record. I want you to know there are
those among us who are obsessed with
exclusivity. Today we have over 250
Councils, and more on the way. In my
state where there was once one, there
are now 28. More are being formed.

This Grand Master, you can be cer-
tain, will refuse any and all requests for
exclusive jurisdiction.

Over the years this Grand Council has
grown in numbers and in riches. It has
done this miraculously. How long this
can continue is anyone's guess. It has
not kept pace with the 20th century.

There are many areas that should be
addressed. I'm appointing a special
Team--a Planning Team--to address
these problems.

You are urged to contact the mem-
bers of this Team and give them your
suggestions on how to fraternally handle
our present and future growth. Your in-
put is vital to the future success of
the Allied Masonic Degrees. What comes
from this could become a model on
which Freemasonry in general can build.
Among the points that should be ad-
dressed we find that this Grand Council
has accumulated substantial funds that
are salted away in bank accounts. To do
this we have ignored acts of Brother-
hood. By this I mean we have provided
our members with nothing except a cou-
ple of publications. Is this as it should
be?

Your Grand Line officers are never
reimbursed even for out-of-pocket ex-
penses. The Grand Secretary receives a
paltry sum for untold hours of service.
The Grand Master is expected to repre-
sent this Grand Council with dignity
throughout the country. Heaven forbid
that he should be reimbursed for his ex-
pensesl There has ncver been a budget
proposed .

This may have been acceptable (and
this is debatable) years ago. It isn't any
longer .

Shouldn't this Grand Council publish
a newsletter periodically? From year to
year the only input we have from this
body is what little we learn during the
short time we're together. Occasionally,
through the pages of the excel!ent The
Philalethes, we learn something about
what has taken place or will happen.

To alleviate this I am appointing an
Internal Relations Team, something we
certainly need throughout the Craft.
Among the items this Team will be
charged to do is to keep our members
informed about the Allied Masonic
Degrees .

There are many items in our Consti-
tutions that should be studied. The
Planning Team will be asked go to over
these documents with a magnifying glass
and submit its recommendations next
year . For instance: What should the
quorum be to hold our annual meet-
ings? The ridiculous three Councils as it
now stands? I certainly don't want to see
three Councils and a Grand Master de-
stroy what we've accomplished.

What should the voting procedure
be? There is actually none established as
of now. Why? Could it be because we've
been rubber stamping what the Juris-
prudence Committee and the Board of
General Purposes proclaims? This may
not be all bad, but it isn't good, either.

Should we continue to keep our
Grand Line stagnating for 10 years?
Should the Grand line be shortened?
Should the first office in this line be
elective rather than appointive as it'is
now?

Should we continue to meet at this
hotel? It's a question that has never been
really considered.

Should this Grand Council continue
to meet in February at a time that suits
the whim of the Grand Masters and
Grand Secretaries Conferences? This
was of some importance years ago. But
those other Conferences bowed to a
vocal few opponents of meeting in D.C.
and periodically meet elsewhere. Then
the Congress fouled up the date of
George Washington's birth. These two
acts left the date with no historical and
Masonic significance. Would it be ad-
vantageous to meet on a set week at a
time of the year when the weather could
be expected to be favorable?

More and more small bodies have at-
tached themselves to our meeting date.
One in particular has usurped the time
of the Philalethes, the oldest organiza-
tion meeting during this period. If this
is to be continued should we consider
lenS~thening the days we spend here?
(The answer was "yes": it commences in
1991 .)

These, and many other questions, are
begging for a constructive answer.
What this team accomplishes this year,
and what you do next February with its
proposals, will make a difference for
future gnerations of Freemasons. (The
Grand Council officers and committees
agreed to consider what this Team pro-
poses next year. This constitutes the
"unanimous consent" required.)

I can hear the opposition now. "We've
done fine. We don't need to make any
changes." "We've always done it that
way." And some of the statements won't
be quotable in polite company.

Most of these comments will come
from those among us who believe com-
puters are instruments of the devill
Unbelievable? Check me out.

Many years ago I suggested to the of-
ficers of the company for which I was
the business manager that a change in
accounting procedures should be made.
This would tell us where we were going
quarterly rather than yearly. It would, I
claimed, help increase the profits. I was
told the company was making money. I
argued that by following my method it
could increase those profits. The offi-
cers laughed.

Two months later the president told
me he had a good idea and I was to im-
plement it immediately. His "good
idea" was my proposal down to the last
crossed "t." Six months later the profit
and loss statement showed a doubling of
previous profitsl

For 50 years I've kept a sign where I
can see it. It reads: "There's no limit to
what you can accomplish IF you don't
care who gets the credit." That sign will
stay until the day I go to the Great
Beyond.

Can our organization be an integral
force in Freemasonry? Can Freemasonry
in general become a vital power in the
world again? It depends.

You've heard the story many times
about a young man who was going to
stump a wise old man with a bird.
Would it live or would it die? The old
man wisely said: "As you will it, my Son.
As you will it."

Will Freemasonry continue to live--
or will it be destroyed? The answer was
given to us by the wise old man. "As you
will, my friends. As you will it."

Allen E. Roberts, FPS, was elected
Grand Master of the Grand Council of
the Allied Masonic Degrees on February
24, 1990. Jerry Marsengill, FPS, was ap-
pointed to the line of Grand Officers.
All of the Grand Officers except one are
members of The Philalethes Society.

Roberts appointed a Planning Team
to make recommendations for changes
to aid the continuzng growth of the
Allied Masonic Degrees. Another Team
will keep the members informed about
what is occurring in Freemasonry and
the AMD. Plans will start being made
by another Team to commemorate the
100th anniversary of the Allied Masonic
Degrees in the United States Zn 1992.

The Allied Masonic Degrees is com-
posed of Councils in almost every juris-
diction in the United States. Member-
ship is limited to 27. These are invita-
tional bodies composed of Royal Arch
Masons. Councils may be formed by five
Royal Arch Masons, at least one of
whom must be a member of the Allied
Masonic Degrees.

The AMD has never had a loss in
membership. Actually its growth con-
tinues to be remarkable.
